Abstract:
Contextual based interaction of speech sounds, coarticulation, is the main component of intelligible continuous speech. This interaction between speech sounds within and across the words is affected in children with speech sound disorders (SSD). Literature reports on certain contexts facilitating the production of different speech sounds. Thus, these contextual considerations are vital for the selection of target stimuli during articulation therapy for faster learning. As phonotactics and coarticulation are language dependent, such studies are indispensable in linguistically diverse languages. In this context, the present study intended to examine the effect of vowels /a/, /i/, and /u/ in acquisition of retroflexes /?/, /?/, /?/, and /?/ in Kannada speaking children with SSD. Kannada, a syllabic language, is one of the four Dravidian languages and considered to be the official language of Karnataka state in India. Six native Kannada participants in the age range 4 years and 0 months to 5 years and 10 months with fronting errors for retroflexes were recruited for articulation therapy. Target words incorporating retroflexes were elicited using a phonetic placement approach. Responses were audio recorded and transcribed using IPA. Percentage of correct response was analyzed and graphically represented. The results revealed, acquisition of /?/, /?/, and /?/ were highly facilitated in the context of vowel /u/ followed by /i/ and /a/; and lateral retroflex /?/ was highly facilitated in the context of vowel /i/ followed by /u/ and /a/. Validation of the present findings with a larger sample size will serve as essential guidelines to speech-language pathologists for effective SSD intervention program.